Campaign against Climate Change

To : David Hughes
Daily Telegraph
david.hughes@telegraph.co.uk

27th July 2008

Dear David,

I am writing with reference to your Opinion piece of 21st July 2008
"Ofcom can't take the heat of climate debate", which I found,
belatedly, online :-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/07/21/do...

I was directed to this page from the Media Lens Message Board :-

http://www.medialens.org/board

to which I shall post a copy of this letter.

With regard to your statement "there has been a marked atmospheric
cooling in recent years", thereby inferring that Global Warming has
reversed, I would contend that this is untrue, and that this should
not go unchallenged. You appear not to appreciate the full range of
data.

Of course, if I were to make a complaint to Ofcom, they would more
than likely say that because your article was "Opinion", it does not
come under the category of "News" and that therefore there is no
obligation for you to be factual.

I've read hundreds, maybe thousands of articles just such as yours,
reciting verbatim, and ad nauseum, sceptical arguments that have long
been put to bed, debunked, refuted, rebuffed. The graphs sceptics rely
on are sometimes hand-drawn, or from a period of time too short to be
of relevance, or too old to be worthwhile, or too regional to be
global...or just plain fabricated, as Ofcom admits.

The graphs and diagrams published by the sceptics often do not mean
what the sceptics say they mean. The mathematics are erroneous. The
argumentation lame. The reasons given for cause and effect have often
been shown to be largely red herrings.

So, Climate Change has "an aura of religious faith", does it ? What do
you believe, yourself ? I bet you believe in gravity, in sunshine, in
rainstorms and clouds. Climate Change is a part of Nature, and can be
understood by the mind. It is not a spiritual revelation, based on
fantasy.

You have to believe in Weather reports, because they predict the
future, often badly. You don't need to have a faith in Climate Change,
because it's already here, and the evidence is all around you.

I am sorry to read that you do not seem to understand the facts on
Global Warming, and are scathing about Climate Change, and the
hardworking scientists in this field, so let me make a unique offer to
you.

I facilitate workshops on Climate Change, as one of the members of the
Global Change College, http://www.changecollege.org.uk

In the Autumn we hope to be hosting a series of workshops for
journalists, to ground them in the basic science and recent
developments in research on Global Warming and Climate Change.

You are welcome to attend these workshops without payment, and you are
without obligation to accept what is discussed. You will be free to
say what you think, but you will also be asked to be prepared to
listen to facts that are presented.

Bring your scepticism, and any materials that you think backs up your
scepticism, and debate with us in person. Science can answer all the
sceptics. If you have the courage to turn up, we are sure you will be
encouraged to write more informed, balanced articles in future.

Yours, not sure if I am one of the "scalded cats" you accuse,

Ms J. Abbess